Leviticus 10:2 tells us that “fire came out from before Jehovah” and consumed Nadab and Abihu, and “they died before Jehovah.” This fire is the opposite of common fire. This fire is from God, not from man; it is from the heavens, not from the earth; and it is for judgment, not for acceptance.
The fire in verse 2 is also fire for the sanctification of God by His serving ones who come near to Him (v. 3a). The death of Nadab and Abihu sanctified God. Their death tells us that God is not common but holy and that we should not offer anything common to this holy God. From the death of Nadab and Abihu we learn that God must be honored as a holy God. If we are not serious with Him, we will be judged, and His judgment upon us will be His sanctification of Himself.
The fire in verse 2 was also for the glorification of God before His people (v. 3b). Aaron and the people might have felt that this consuming fire was only a matter of punishment and judgment, but with God this fire was a matter of His glorification.
“Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the holy place outside the camp. So they came near and carried them in their tunics outside the camp, as Moses had spoken” (vv. 4-5). This signifies that the deadness of unholiness should be kept away from the sphere of God’s holiness and also from the community, the fellowship, of God’s people.
“Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, Do not dishevel your hair nor tear your garments, that you may not die and that He may not be angry with all the congregation” (v. 6). This signifies that even God’s death-judgment upon the relatives should not be an excuse for His serving ones to be disorderly in their subjection to the headship of Christ and to break the perfection of their conduct, that they might not suffer deadness in their spiritual life and cause God to be unhappy with His people.
The requirement in verse 6 indicates that we must mean business with God. In coming to Him and in touching His service and work, we must be serious. Even if relatives are lost due to God’s death-judgment, we must take care of God’s concern and not our own concern. Behaving in such a situation as though we have suffered no loss shows that we are under the headship of Christ.
Leviticus 10:6c says, “But let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Jehovah has kindled.” This signifies that the whole body of God’s people should grieve over the judgment of God upon the unholiness of His serving ones.
“And you shall not go out from the entrance of the tent of meeting so that you may not die, for the anointing oil of Jehovah is upon you” (v. 7a). The priests could not leave the entrance of the tent of meeting even to attend the funeral, because the holy anointing oil, which typifies the processed Triune God, was upon them. This signifies that God’s serving ones, bearing the Holy Spirit of God, should not leave the entering in of the church life that they may not suffer spiritual deadness.
“Jehovah spoke to Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, that you may not die; it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations, that you may make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and that you may teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which Jehovah has spoken to them through Moses” (vv. 8-11). This signifies that God’s serving ones coming into the church life should not drink anything of the worldly enjoyment, of the fleshly interest, and of the natural excitement that they might not suffer spiritual deadness but be able to make a distinction between the holy and the common and between the clean and the unclean, and to teach God’s people His regulations.
If we pay attention to the lesson of Nadab and Abihu, we will learn a great deal. Surely this lesson will then govern us in touching the things concerning God.
Home | First | Prev | Next